Gourmets and connoisseurs, as well as professional cheesemakers call Gruyere cheese a Swiss cheese classic. Gruyere cheese can be counted among the “gold fund” of Swiss cheese making. Gruyere cheese differs in its appearance and texture from other similar types of product. The Gruyere cheese mass is dense and almost homogeneous.

Gruyere cheese can be hard to find, however. So, what can I use if I don’t have Gruyere cheese? If you don’t have Gruyere cheese, substitute it with:

• Emmental (Switzerland);
• Pecorino (Italy);
• Manchego (Spain);
• Jarlsberg (Norway);
• Beaufort (France).

But what about Mozzarella? Can I use mozzarella instead of gruyere? You can use mozzarella instead of gruyere since they both melt well and have a creamy, buttery, salty taste. However, Gruyere has a more intense nutty flavor when aged, while mozzarella is milky and salty, so it is best not to substitute mozzarella for Gruyere if it is the main ingredient.

See also: Why Is Cheese Yellow? The Answer May Surprise You!

Mozzarella vs Gruyere Taste

What does mozzarella cheese taste like? Unlike buttery and rich Gruyere, mozzarella has a delicate creamy taste. Its soft citrus-straw notes emphasize, but do not fade the taste of other ingredients in the dish. Mozzarella goes especially well with vegetables, herbs, white wine or vermouth, ham, olives and berries.

What does Gruyere cheese taste like? Gruyere is sweet, although slightly salty. The taste can vary greatly depending on the aging period. Young cheese is often called cream cheese with nutty notes. The matured Gruyere flavor becomes more intense, a complex bouquet with earthy nuances emerges.

Gruyere is a hard yellow cheese with a sweet and slightly salty taste that changes with age: from creamy with nutty notes to complex, full-bodied with nutty and earthy undertones. It melts perfectly, as a result of which it is one of the indispensable elements of fondue, giving other ingredients of the dish a pleasant exquisite taste with notes of nuts and fruits. In addition, it is often used to make fillings and sauces.

Due to its characteristic flavor, but not fading the taste of other ingredients, Gruyere is also considered one of the most suitable cheeses for baking. For a dish such as quiche (an open pie filled with beaten eggs, cheese and other ingredients), Gruyere adds flavor without overpowering the rest of the ingredients. This cheese melts well, therefore, along with the Vashrain and Emmental varieties, it is often used for fondue.

The Bottom Line

All in all, can you substitute mozzarella for Swiss cheese? Mozzarella is a great substitute for Swiss cheese because of its creamy, salty flavor, soft texture and excellent melting properties. Italians, as a rule, use mozzarella for such popular dishes as pizza, lasagna, pasta.

Mozzarella is a soft cheese with a fresh milky taste that emphasizes the taste of the rest of the ingredients in the dish. Among perfectly melting cheeses, Mozzarella takes the first place, since it does not release fat, does not dry out and remains stringy even after the dish has cooled down. Cheese has such remarkable qualities due to its characteristic fibrous structure and therefore is indispensable for making pizza, lasagna and hot sandwiches. When melted, mozzarella threads can stretch up to 30 cm or more.

Dishes with mozzarella are good for your health. Mozzarella contains protein, many vitamins, antioxidants, trace elements, and several minerals necessary for the body. One medium scoop of mozzarella contains approximately 25% of the calcium a person needs per day. Also, mozzarella contains iodine, zinc, phosphorus, healthy Omega-6 acids, as well as essential Omega-3s.
Mozzarella is used as a prophylaxis for bone diseases and cancerous tumors. Mozzarella helps to strengthen the immune system.